18 June 2002 - International [Cambodia]

Two years ago Nike pulled production out of Cambodia in response to a damning TV documentary on under age girls working in the factories there. The pull out was a big blow for the country as their garment industry makes up 80% of exports of goods and employs nearly 180,000 girls and young women. However, they are now considering returning as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched independent monitoring of factories in the country to ensure they meet new transparent employment conditions. The first two reports by the ILO revealed a number of factories paying less than the minimum wage and expecting long hours of overtime.